Island Escapes Holidays

There is nothing more liberating or invigorating than escaping the mainland for a spell on an island. Whether you’re interested in island-hopping or tracking down rare wildlife, our collection of island escapes can take you anywhere from the High Arctic to the Coral Sea, the mid-Atlantic to the Pacific Rim.

Pacific

Experience the culture and wildlife of the world’s second largest island on a 12-night Frontier Lands of Papua New Guinea cruise, delving into the Tufi Fjords and Trobriand Islands before navigating the Sepik River. Casting further across the Pacific, we can also arrange island-hopping escapes in the Cook Islands, Fiji and French Polynesia. Cruise the Marquesas Islands on a far-flung ocean odyssey aboard the Aranui V ‘freighter to paradise’, or Discover the Yasawa Islands, an idyllic archipelago in Fiji. For the ultimate in remote Pacific island escapes, combine a holiday in Chile with our Easter Island Enigma.

Australia and New Zealand

We’re not counting Australia here, but there are plenty of smaller islands to tempt you Down Under. For starters, the Great Barrier Reef has around 900, ranging from sandy slithers to the continental islands of the Whitsundays. Explore the coral kingdom on our four-night Great Barrier Reef Cruise. For lovers of forest wilderness, empty beaches and Australia’s unique wildlife, a two-week Tasmanian Discovery self-drive will immerse you in the island’s national parks and world heritage sites. There’s more Aussie wildlife to be found on Rottnest Island and Kangaroo Island, while New Zealand’s Stewart Island is a magnet to birdwatchers keen to track down everything from kiwis to albatrosses.

Canada

East or West, the islands of Canada have great holiday potential. On the Atlantic side, there’s Newfoundland for example, where our Fogo Island Adventure puts you in a prime spot (and in fabulous accommodation) for spotting whales and icebergs. Over on the Pacific coast of Canada, meanwhile, we can arrange everything from self-drive holidays on Vancouver Island to a wildlife break in search of the Whales and Bears at Farewell Harbour.

Slightly further afield, Sailing the Islands of Haida Gwaii will transport you to one of the richest biological and cultural areas in Canada, also known as the ‘Galapagos of the North’.

Atlantic

See above for Iceland, but if you’re looking more long-haul, let your finger wander down the Mid-Atlantic Ridge until it reaches the lonely speck of St Helena, a volcanic island 4,000km east of Brazil and 1,950km west of Namibia. Making use of the island’s new runway, our Discover St Helena Fly-in gives you time to explore highlights, from waterfalls and whale sharks to Napolean’s tomb. For a guided adventure, consider St Helena with the Locals.

Arctic

Greenland – largest island of them all – covers an area of over two million square kilometres (ten times the size of Britain). A great combo with Iceland, it also makes a superb destination in its own right, whether you’re Hiking in East Greenland or Sailing Scoresby Sund. For a polar adventure exploring Baffin Island, the world’s fifth largest island, our Northwest Passage small-ship expedition voyage operates between August and September.

Svalbard, however, is an exciting year-round island escape. Our holidays to this truly stunning High Arctic archipelago include a winter Svalbard Polar Night Adventure and a wide choice of summer voyages, including Around Spitsbergen which has excellent opportunities for spotting polar bears, walruses, Arctic foxes and whales.

Antarctica

How far would you travel for the ultimate island escape? How about 8,000 miles..? That’s how far the Falklands are from the UK (as the crow flies). Located about 300 miles off the south-eastern coast of Patagonia, the archipelago consists of two main islands (East and West Falkland), plus 776 smaller ones. As well as superb wildlife watching (penguins, elephant seals, albatrosses, orca etc), Falklands Highlights include poignant memorials and battlegrounds from the 1982 conflict, friendly rural lodges and bracing hikes. The islands can be combined on a Peninsula, Falklands & South Georgia polar voyage, lasting from 18-22 nights, or a shorter South Georgia via the Falklands cruise. Both options include a chance to set foot on the magnificent sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia – famed for its huge colonies of king penguins, dragon-backed mountains and the daring exploits of Shackleton and his crew.

Europe

Forget the Med… you won’t find many sunbeds or sangrias on our European island escapes. Instead, we’ll take you in search of the midnight sun and stunning scenery along Norway’s coast. Try Island Hopping along the Fjord Coast or a self-drive Around Lofoten, exploring a spectacular archipelago of mountains, fjords and fishing villages. We’re also specialists in holidays to Iceland – Europe’s second largest island, after Britain. Our unrivalled collection of self-drive and escorted holidays range from short breaks to witness Iceland’s volcanoes, icecaps and rugged coastline to longer holidays driving full-circle around the island.